People with Type 1 diabetes and some with Type 2 diabetes use insulin to control their blood glucose (BG) level. Typically, if a person's BG level is too high, he or she can inject a “bolus” (dose) of insulin to lower his/her BG level to a desired target level. Furthermore, he or she may inject a bolus of insulin in anticipation of ingesting carbohydrates, thus heading off a sharp rise in BG level.
Various calculations can be used to determine the amount of insulin to inject, and bolus estimation software is available for performing such calculations. These software programs can be used on an electronic computing device, such as a computer, the Internet, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or an insulin delivery device. Insulin delivery devices include infusion pumps, injection pens, and IV meters.
Some bolus estimation software takes into account an individual's current BG level. Presently, blood glucose can be measured using devices such as a test strip meter, a continuous glucose measurement system, a hospital hemocue, or an automated intermittent blood glucose measurement system. BG measurement devices use various methods, such as a sample of blood, a sensor in contact with a bodily fluid, an optical sensor, an enzymatic sensor, or a fluorescent sensor.
When the BG measurement device has generated a measurement, it is displayed on the device. Then the user may visually read the BG measurement and physically enter it into an electronic computing device to calculate a bolus estimate. Finally, once the bolus estimate is calculated, the user can inject the insulin bolus, or can program an insulin delivery device to deliver the bolus into his/her body.
Unfortunately, this process can be cumbersome and subject to transcribing errors—for example, the user may not accurately enter the BG measurement that is displayed on the BG measurement device into the electronic computing device. Thus if the BG measurement is not entered correctly, the bolus estimate may not be accurate. Furthermore, once the bolus estimation calculation is complete, the user may not accurately enter the bolus amount into a programmable infusion device, or the user may read the bolus amount incorrectly and inject the wrong amount of medication.